coleman



2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. COLEMAN. ORE SEPABATOR.

(No Model.)

Patented-Oct 6, 1885,

N. PETERS HwtmUlMgnpMn wnhin mn, DV (1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EZRA COLEMAN, OF NElV YORK, N. Y.

ORE-SEPARATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 327,766, dated October 6, 1885.

Application filed December 27, 1884. Serial No. 151,301. (No model.) v

T 0 all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EZRA COLEMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore -Separators, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention has for its object, principally, to provide a machine to treat ore or precious metals by the action of water in conjunction with that of agitators or stirrers, to which is imparted an oscillatory movement, whereby the lighter foreign matter-as, for instance, sand, gangue, or other particles-4s separated or eliminated from the heavier valuable material or metal, the lighter or waste matter being floated oil; and the plane of flotation can be varied as the degree of lightness or heaviness thereof demands,while the precipitated metal or heavier substance can be collected at the bottom of the containing receptacle in any quantity and be readily drawn off, as will be more fully hereinafter pointed out and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a partial perspective View and section of my improved ore-separator. Figs. 2, 3, 4 are details thereof.

In the embodiment of my invention 1 suitably support or mount in an elevated position, upon suitable legs a a, cylindric receptacle A. This cylinder or receptacle A is first constructed bottomless, or open at its bottom, as well as at its top or upper end, its bottom or lower end being inserted into an annular chamber, A, of a bottom plate or disk, A, and thus with the aid of an asbestus or other suitable packin b, first or previously placed in said chamber upon its bottom, the said receptacle is rendered watertight at its bottom edge. The cylinder A is firmly connected to the bottom A" by bolts (1 passed through apertured studs af,projecting from said cylinder and bottom.

Disposed within this cylinder or receptacle near its bottom, and resting or secured upon the upper edge of the inner wall of the annular chamber A is a supplementary bottom, B, between which and the lower bottom, A, a chamber, 0, is thus formed for the reception of water, as will be further explained presently. The supplementary bottom, 13, is foraminated, being provided throughout its entire surface with numerous small apertures extending through it from bottom to top, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, whereby the water admitted under pressure, as described further on, to and first filling the chamber a, as it in practice does, will be caused to enter the upper or main chamber of the cylinder or receptacle A in finely-divided jets, penetrating and separating the adhering gangue or foreign lighter matter of the metal or ore placed in the upper main chamber of the cylinder or receptacle, and fioat off said lighter matter, provision being made therefor, as will be presently seen, while the suspended heavier substance or metal will settle to the supplementary bottom. Connecting about centrally with the lower main bottom of the cylinder or receptacle A, and supplying, under pressure, the chamber 0 with water, is a pipe, (I, having a cut-off valve, (1, and connected to a head of water. 0 is a discharge-pipe connecting with the bottom of the main chamber of the cylinder or receptacle A, reaching down through the bottom of the lower chamber, 0, and a short distance below it, and provided with a molasses-gate form of valve, 0, or other suitable form of valve, by the opening of which, when a sufficient quantity of metal or ore has been precipitated upon the supplementary bottom of the main chamber of the cylinder A, it will be seen that the water, by the action thus imparted to the same, will convey the said metal into said pipe, whence it will be allowed to discharge into any suitable vessel placed thereunder or directly upon the floor.

In the side of the cylinder A, with its upper edge near the top of the cylinder and its lower edge considerably removed from the bottom of the cylinder, is an opening, f, for the overflow to float off the refuse or lighter matter above referred to. This opening is provided with a gate, 0, which has at its upper edge a spent, 0, whose bottom is about horizontal for the ready gliding over and oil it of the water carrying away the said refuse or lighter matter. This gate is adjustable, being confined at its projecting side edges under cleats or plates h h, with their outer vertical edges fast to the side of the cylinder A and provided in their front sides with slots h,which receive adjusting-screws if, entering the said gate or slide, whereby the gate can be adj listed-raised or loweredaccording to the height at which it is required to float off the foreign substance as its degree of lightness or heaviness may demand, the gate having a higher adjustment for very light matter or substance and a lower adjustment for matter not so light, and so on.

E is the hopper for the convenient feeding of the ore or material to be separated from its adhering gangue or foreign substance into the cylinder or receptacle A,which hopper is supported about centrally of the cylinder by arms 1', fastened to said hopper near its upper edge, and to said cylinder or receptacle near its upper edge also, as shown, or otherwise. To the inner lower edge of the hopper E, which is disposed about in the same horizontal plane or a little below that point with the top edge of the cylinder or receptacle A, are secured the outer ends of the arms of a spider, 7', upon the inner convergent ends of whose arms is supported and fastened the lower end of a vertical or upright sleeve or tube, F, which is further braced in position by a crossbar or brace, It, fastened to the top edge of the hop- ,per,and through which bar said sleeve or tube passes.

G is a shaft inclosed in said sleeve or tube, with its upper end provided with a flange or fixed collar resting or bearing upon a corresponding flange or collar at that end of the sleeve or tube, while the lower end of said shaft is connected to the disk or top, H, of the agitator or stirrer H. having a series of pendent rods or arms, H constituting the stirrers proper, and projecting into the cylinder A, the disk or top H being disposed within the said cylinder just about flush with the upper edge of the latter. The connection between the shaft G and the disk of the stirrer H-the latter having a central circular opening through it for the passage of the ore from the hopper to the cylinder-chamberis in practice effected analogously to that between the sleeve or tube F and the hopper E. The agitator or stirrer H is possessed of an oscillatory or semi-rotary movement, in order to enable its arms or stirrers H to suitably affect the material being acted upon and to eliminate the foreign substance or gangue therefrom to permit the water to float or carry off the latter, as before described. This movement of the agitator or stirrer H is effected through the pitman I, pivotally connected to the disk H of said agitator or stirrer and to the under side of the smaller disk, J, fast to the lower end of the upright rotary shaft J, which may be driven, supported, and journaled in any suitable manner, the same being no part of my invention, and therefore requires no elucidation herein.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The ore-separator comprising the cylinder or receptacle having an overflow opening, the bottom plate provided with an annular watertight packed chamber, and concentrically therewith with a valved supply-pipe,the supplementary foraminated bottom or diaphragm, a valved discharge-pipe, the agitator or stirrer consisting of a disk provided with pendent arms, and a supporting-shaft, pitmau, a rotary crank-shaft, and the hopper having a centrally-supported sleeve supporting the shaft of the agitator or stirrer, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereofI affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EZRA COLEMAN. \Vitnesses:

CHARLES VALTER, J. WM. Misrnn. 

